What If?
by Oneshot Agency
Summary: What if the Iris Message went through to Annabeth? What if Damasen didn't change his fate? What if Ethan stabbed Percy instead of Annabeth? A compilation of non-chronological What Ifs? from the PJO and HoO series.
1. Iris Message

What if the Iris Message to Annabeth went through? Son of Neptune - Page 260

/

Iris' medicinal tea was starting to work its magic, sending warmth down Percy's arms and legs. The color returned to his skin and he stopped shaking as his strength returned.

The concoction had also lifted the haze from his mind. Seeing the Centaurs and Cyclops working for Polybotes had sent his brain into a spiral. Something was telling him that the image wasn't right like they had betrayed him. That, along with seeing his dad's nemesis, was enough to send his nervous system into a frenzy.

But now, his mind felt sharp, sharper than it had been since he had woken all those months ago. The constant pressure in his head was gone. His vision seemed more clear, his dyslexia not existent as he was able to easily read posters on the wall for the first time in his life.

He could see Annabeth's face almost perfectly in his head, as well as remember details that hadn't stuck out before. He could see her athletic figure clad in athletic shorts and an orange t-shirt, similar to the one he arrived at Camp Jupiter in, but the words were indistinguishable. He could see strawberry fields behind her, bright and red in a perfect harvest. He could hear laughter in the background.

It was his strongest memory yet.

For some reason, New York City also popped into his head, demanding his attention. A familiar comfort came into his chest as he remembered walking through Central Park, a warm hand in his.

That was where he was from. He just knew it.

He also knew that was where Annabeth was.

"How are you feeling?"

The words broke through his stupor and he looked up to Hazel and Fleecy looking at him expectantly. They were sitting around a foldable table in plastic chairs in the back of the store. They were surrounded by shelves on either side. He nodded his head.

"Good. Really good, actually."

Percy didn't know how long his super memory was going to last or if he would remember these new memories once the tea's effects wore off. This was his one chance.

"Hey, can we get that Iris Message now?"

Fleecy nodded her head happily. "Of course! Give me one sec to get the materials." She scurried off down the aisle they were in and made a turn, disappearing from view.

"What is an Iris Message?" Hazel asked, taking a sip of the tea (hers not dosed with magic) Fleecy had prepared.

"I don't know. I just know I throw a drachma into mist and ask for whoever I want to see, and they show up in the mist." Percy suddenly realized he had no drachma. He hoped the goddess could spare some change to his charity: _Amnesiac Demigods Trying Not to Die._

"Are you going to try Annabeth?" she asked softly.

Percy nodded. "She's my only hope. " He paused, debating whether he should tell Hazel. "The tea is restoring some of my memories. I think I'm from New York City."

Hazel shrugged. "Never been there. You think Annabeth is there too?"

"Yeah. I'm going to try."

Fleecy came back into view at the end of the aisle, struggling to carry a three-foot statue of an angel in her arms. She plopped it down on the table in front of them, pushing back her crazy white hair.

"Okay, this fountain should do the trick. I just need to-" she looked up and down the shelves, before pulling out a hose with a triumphant sound. She screwed it into the back of the fountain and turned on the water. She turned back to Percy. "Think you can make a mist with this, Son of Neptune?"

Percy nodded, already sensing the water filling the fountain's reserves. "Do you have a…" He always hated asking for money, ancient Greek currency or not.

Fleecy flipped him and Hazel their own drachmas. "This one's on us. I figured you wouldn't have anything Greek on you, considering your situation."

Percy chose to ignore the statement, focusing on the fountain. He called the water, two streams pouring from the tips of the angel's wings into a small pool below it. He willed it to form a mist.

Just as he was about to toss the drachma in, Fleecy stopped him.

"Wait! Make sure you say, 'O Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me-' and then whoever you want to see and their location. Otherwise, the call might not go through." She said quickly like she wasn't supposed to be doing this.

Percy tilted his head at her, knowing that is definitely not what is said during Iris Messages. He had no choice so he flipped the drachma into the mist and said, "O Fleecy, do me a solid and show me Annabeth Chase in New York City."

Percy his heart rate picked up as the mist blurred. Was this going to work? Was he going to see Annabeth?

The image shifted like they were looking out the window of a very fast-moving car. Percy thought he saw the Empire State Building. The image shifted the other way like it was looking for something and quickly changed direction. Percy saw Hazel shift uncomfortably next to him, probably feeling motion sick from looking at the image.

Fleecy frowned. "It usually doesn't take this long."

Percy started to internally panic. He was so sure this was going to work.

The image stilled into a dark, hazy fog.

It started to focus, a dark room coming into view. There were rows of bunk beds pushed up against a wall. The center of the room was filled with work tables, covered in maps and blueprints. There were countless bookshelves.

The image seemed to float around the seemingly empty room before it centered on a single desk in the back of the room. A figure was hunched over in a chair, writing furiously on something. There were maps taped haphazardly on the wall, with lines connecting various places.

Percy choked back a sob.

Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a light blue sweatshirt that Percy just knew was his.

Hazel grabbed Percy's hand comfortingly and gave it a squeeze.

"Annabeth?" he said hesitantly.

To Percy's surprise, the figure huffed angrily and gripped their pencil so tight, Percy was surprised it didn't break. She didn't turn.

"Whatever cruel prank this is, Stolls, I am not in the mood right now. I'm busy. Go bother someone else," she said, her voice deadly.

Percy couldn't hold back tears when he heard her voice.

_She was right there._

His entire motivation for staying alive throughout the past months. He had been so terrified so many times, so tired. He considered giving up on multiple occasions, but her face in his head never let him. He kept going because of her.

And now, she was right in front of him. She wasn't just a face in his head, making him feel crazy.

"It's me," he said, his voice breaking.

She whipped around in her chair, the pencil snapping in her hand.

"I _said_ I'm not in the mood, you fu-"

Their eyes met and her voice died in her throat. She stood from the chair, not noticing as it flipped backwards behind her.

"P-Percy?"

Percy smiled through his tears and held up a hand.

"Hey," was all he could manage.

"Please tell me this isn't a dream," she said, disbelief all over her features.

She had dark circles under her eyes. Her skin seemed pale in the dark light of the cabin. Her eyes were tired and red. Her hair had flecks of metal shavings and grease as if she had just come from working in a metal shop. She had a smudge on her cheek that Percy wanted to wipe off with his fingers so badly.

Hazel squeezed his hand, and he realized he hadn't answered.

"I'm here. It's not a dream. But you do look like you could use some sleep," he joked mirthlessly.

"Oh my gods." She stepped closer to the image reflectively. The mist shuddered dangerously and she took a step back. "How-? What-? Where are-? Are you okay?" Her mind seemed to be working overtime and she was struggling to process the image of her boyfriend, _alive_, in front of her.

Percy nodded quickly. "I'm okay. We don't have a lot of time so I can't explain everything. Hera put me to sleep and took my memory-"

That was not the right thing to say.

Annabeth's face immediately exploded in anger. "Hera? That witch! I swear, I'm going to-"

Percy waved his hands to get her attention back. "Hey. Hey! Please, we're running out of time. We can plot a revenger tour on Hera later. I promise."

Annabeth took a deep breath. "So where are you? You got my message to stay put, right?"

Percy winced. "Uh, yeah, I got your message. But, uh, I'm kind of on a quest… to Alaska." He tried to shrug in an _I swear this isn't my fault_ way.

"Percy Jackson, you're on a quest?" she asked furiously. She threw her hands up. "I tell you to do _one_ thing so we can find your stupid butt after you go missing, and you go to _Alaska_?"

Percy cracked a sheepish smile. "You know I don't follow directions very well. And I miss you, too."

Her face softened. The image blurred for a second before refocusing.

"You're running out of time," Fleecy warned.

"Who was that?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was starting to break up slightly.

"Listen, Annabeth, Gaea raised the Giants and they're probably coming for you. They're going to be attacking soon."

Annabeth nodded. "We know. We've had some run-ins with them over here too."

Percy still couldn't remember exactly what _over there_ was, but he didn't have time to ask and the memories that would flood his brain would probably give him a massive headache, which he also didn't have time for.

"We're on a quest to release Thanatos so be on the look-out for monsters starting to stay dead once you kill them."

The image was starting to blur. Percy felt his stomach drop as her face shifted.

She nodded and held her hand up to the mist. "Please be safe!" Her voice was barely understandable.

Percy held up his hand to mirror hers and he could swear he could feel the heat of her hand on his. Her lips moved but Percy couldn't hear her.

"Annabeth, I-" he started desperately.

The mist disappeared, fading into vapor, taking the image of his girlfriend with it. Percy felt his eyes burn as he lowered his hand back to his lap. He looked dejected at the space she was just in. He could feel Fleecy and Hazel's eyes looking sadly at him.

_Annabeth, I love you._

/

Despite Reyna's hilarious reaction to the unexpected video message, Percy couldn't find it within himself to laugh.

He barely listened to Hazel and Reyna's conversation, only hearing parts about the army that was moving towards them and defending camp. If Reyna noticed his somber attitude, she didn't say anything.

He could only think of Annabeth and her sad, tired eyes.

Percy knew that look. The memories were coming back as he thought about her. She had stayed up for three days straight one time before Percy stepped in to force her to take a weekend off (from building something?).

Percy had held her while she cried her stress out, kissing away the tears.

Now, she had the same look and he was three thousand miles away. It tore him apart.

Percy refocused when he saw the image of Reyna fade away with a wave of Hazel's hand. She turned to him. Her dark eyes were concerned, and it made Percy want to cry again.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Percy just nodded, a lump reforming in his throat. He coughed to clear it. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be okay."

He knew deep down he was because he had to be. He had to be okay if he wanted to see Annabeth again.

Fleecy, who had disappeared at some point, suddenly came running towards them. "You might want to go help your friend. He's getting attacked by some snakes, I think?"

Percy and Hazel looked at each other in worry, knowing that whatever Frank was fighting was probably more than just a small garden snake.

They stood and took off back towards the main shop, bursting through the door to see Iris waiting for them. She was stuffing various items she had on the counter into a rainbow tie-dye purse. She put the last item into the bag as they came up to her.

"Frank Zhang is outside battling basilisks alone. I do not know his current status of health. Here," she shoved the purse at Percy. "you'll need this. Oh, that looks good."

Percy frowned at the bag, holding it at arm's length before remembering their current situation. He didn't have time to act like a judge on _Project Runway_. Questionable fashion choices were going to have to be examined later.

But, in Percy's opinion, the rainbow and purple of his shirt _so_ did not match.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Percy threw the _murse_ over his shoulder. Despite all of the item's Percy saw Iris throw into the bag, it was surprisingly light in weight.

Iris' examining look kept Percy from running out of the store at that moment, and it seemed like Hazel was in a similar position. She looked between the two demigods.

"As the goddess of messages, I hear a lot of things. And I hear that you two have very difficult times ahead."

Percy scoffed. "Yeah, you're like the thousandth person to tell us that. Thanks for the purse." He pushed past her, Hazel close behind him. They sped up to a run as they got closer to the entrance.

"I hope Frank's okay," he heard Hazel mutter under her breath as they weaved through an aisle. They jumped over a stack of boxes and burst through the door, seeing Frank standing out in the field, his spear in hand.

_I hope Annabeth is okay._

/

**And here is the other new compilation I decided to make! This series is going to feature moments from the actual PJO and HoO series where the plot could have gone differently. Most of these stories are not meant to fit into the plots of the books. For example, for this story, obviously, Percy getting into contact with Annabeth and getting some memories back likely would have changed some plot points in the actual books had it happened. These chapters will be in no particular order, just depends on when I think of them and when I write.**

**Some stories may not disrupt the plot, but we'll see. For this story, I considered Percy being able to see Annabeth but the audio wouldn't work so she wouldn't know he was there. That could kind of fit into the plot of the books, but I decided a mini-reunion would be more fun to write :)**

**If you are new to my stories, check out my other stuff. I mainly do one-shots, but I also have a short story that goes wayyyy back. Check it out to see what I mean.**

**Sorry for any errors, blah blah blah. See y'all soon.**


	2. Damasen

What if Damasen didn't change his fate? House of Hades - Page 300*

/

_Percy gripped Annabeth's hand. "Stay here. I've got to help him."_

_"Percy, you can't," she croaked. "Tartarus can't be fought. Not by us."_

_She knew she was right. Tartarus was in a class by himself. He was more powerful than the gods or Titans. Demigods were nothing to him. If Percy charged to help Bob, he would get squashed like an ant._

_But Annabeth also knew that Percy wouldn't listen. He couldn't leave Bob to die alone. That just wasn't him – and that was one of the many reasons she loved him, even if he was an Olympian-sized pain in the _podex_._

_"We'll go together," Annabeth decided, knowing this would be their final battle. If they stepped away from the Doors, they would never leave Tartarus. At least they would die fighting side by side._

/

Percy looked at her dejectedly, accepting their fate. She was as stubborn as him so there was no point in arguing. Annabeth wanted nothing more to jump into his embrace, safe and warm, but she knew there would be plenty of time for that in just a short amount of time.

They still had a battle to finish.

"We still have to send the elevator up so the others can cut the chains on the other side," Annabeth said.

"And then we'll be trapped," Percy mumbled.

She scanned the crowd of monsters that were staring at them, waiting to attack. They seemed to sense the demigods' despair, giving them all the time they needed to drown in it.

How considerate.

Annabeth forced herself to push her emotions away and focus on strategy. She was a daughter of Athena. If anyone could come up with a plan to survive imminent death in Tartarus, it would be her.

And, yet, no plan she conceived ended in their survival. This was going to be a fight to the death.

She looked at Percy, both of them holding back tears. She just shook her head. He nodded.

"You hold the button. I have better reach with my sword so I can keep them further away from you." He adjusted Riptide in his hand, looking at the sword for a second like he was memorizing it. "Twelve minutes?"

Annabeth nodded and stepped towards the elevator's buttons. "Twelve minutes." She turned her body so she was reaching behind her to press the button, her back to the elevator. Getting attacked from behind wouldn't do much good in getting the elevator to the surface. "Now."

She pressed the UP button, the doors sliding shut behind her and disappearing from her view as they started their ascent. She prayed to whatever gods were listening that there was someone on the other side to receive them and cut the chains, even if it meant her and Percy's definite doom.

The monsters roared when they saw the elevator take off, surging forward to attack in a stampede. It wouldn't take much for the demigods to be trampled.

Percy yelled out and another two veins exploded, dissolving the first wave of rushing monsters. The monsters behind them hesitated again.

_Stop them!_ Tartarus roared as he easily blocked an attack from Bob. The former Titan did not look good. He was bleeding ichor heavily from a gash in his forehead and Small Bob was nowhere to be seen.

Annabeth brandished her knife as the monsters rushed in a hoard, but there were too many. They would be overrun immediately and the veins of the Underworld's rivers weren't going to stop them.

Or so Annabeth thought.

Her boyfriend had other plans.

He raised his arms and three more veins burst around him. Instead of dousing the monsters, the liquid started to swirl around him, raising him off the ground into his mini hurricane of the Underworld's rivers. Monsters immediately dissolved as they ran into him. Percy quickly moved into the crowd, leaving dust in his wake. Riptide was simply a blur as he slashed through monster after monster. Annabeth lost sight of him as he went deeper into the crowd, which worried her.

But then she remembered it didn't really matter anyway.

Thankfully, he also acted as a great distraction as basically no monsters paid any attention to Annabeth. Monsters were never really known for their brains.

A few stray monsters rushed her, but Annabeth had literally trained for years how to fight with one arm tied behind her back so she found it easy to call the skills up. Strike to kill, use kicks to keep the monsters back, slash wide arcs to keep her space. The monsters were dealt with fairly easily. Her thumb stayed planted firmly on the button.

Annabeth scanned the battlefield and her heart dropped when she heard Bob scream out in pain.

He was on the ground, his arms bent in unnatural angles. Tartarus stood over him, a massive foot planted on Bob's head. His face was gold with ichor, making him almost unrecognizable. Tartarus leaned down, his cyclone face swirling. Annabeth watched as it began to suck the life from Bob. The former Titan moaned in pain and batted at the god's foot with a broken arm but it was useless. Tartarus simply laughed.

_Pathetic_, he taunted, _You were worthless as a Titan and now you are worthless an ally of the gods._

Bob grunted. "I may be worthless, but my cat isn't."

Suddenly, Small Bob came leaping from the shadows onto Tartarus' shoulders. It reared back before sinking its bony fangs into the god's neck.

_Gah! Stupid cat!_ Tartarus stumbled backward, freeing Bob who managed to stand and stumble away. Tartarus reached back to grab Small Bob but the tiger had already scampered down the god's torso, swiping at openings in his armor as it moved. Then it moved down his leg, sinking its fangs into Tartarus' calf. The god roared and kicked his leg out, making Small Bob lose its grip.

The tiger landed on its feet a small distance away from Tartarus and immediately turned to dart away, but Tartarus was too fast. He grabbed the tiger by its back leg and picked it up, holding Small Bob in the air. Small Bob bared its fangs at Tartarus and swiped at his face.

Tartarus laughed and turned back to Bob. _A pathetic companion to a pathetic enemy_, he said. He grabbed Small Bob by the neck with his other hand and then pulled apart, ripping the tiger into dust.

"No!" Bob bellowed.

Annabeth cried out in anguish. After all, she had been the one to find the kitten so she felt a special connection with the cat. It hurt to see it perish in such a brutal manner.

_You are next, Iapetus._ Tartarus started towards Bob, each of his footsteps shaking the ground. He stepped on a monster who exploded into dust.

Talk about a bad boss.

Bob glared at Tartarus's approaching figure and then turned to Annabeth. "In my former life, I loathed demigods almost as much as the gods because I felt that you were just as responsible as they were." He shook his head. "These were never your battles. We simply used your kind as shields. For that, I am sorry. Now, it is my turn to be your shield." Before Annabeth could protest, he took off to Tartarus with surprising speed, given his injuries.

Tartarus laughed. _You are more foolish than I thought_. Tartarus swung a massive purple fist at Bob, who ducked under the swing. The former Titan then reached up and jabbed at the god's side, a spear suddenly in his hand. Tartarus howled in shock. Bob moved out of his reach.

"You seem to have forgotten the meaning of my former name, uncle," Bob said, twirling his new spear. The ichor-covered point glowed in the darkness.

_You bring Gaea great shame. She will be delighted to hear that I have eliminated you._ The two rushed at each other and fell into battle once again.

During this, Annabeth kept her eyes open for her boyfriend. She could only tell he was still alive based on the fact that monsters continued to rush in the opposite direction from her, leaving her somewhat unoccupied. The monsters didn't seem to realize the big elevators were actually the most important part, but she didn't mind.

She remained vigilant, keeping her thumb securely on the UP button. She hoped the lack of occupants in the elevator did not affect its journey.

She had counted eight minutes when she finally caught sight of Percy again.

His hurricane was much slower and smaller, indicating his exhaustion. He was slowly making his way towards her, still cutting down countless monsters. His hair was gold from monster dust and his face was covered in cuts from strikes that had gotten through the swirling liquid. She could see how pale he was under all of the blood.

When he got close to Annabeth's position, he yelled out and the hurricane flew backward off of him like a blanket, dissolving the row of monsters chasing him. The last surge of energy caused him to stumble towards Annabeth, who managed to catch him with her free hand. She wrapped her arm around his waist to keep him on his feet.

The monsters were close behind him.

"Percy, take the button!"

Percy, too exhausted to argue, scrambled to the wall and jammed his thumb next to Annabeth's. "Go!"

Annabeth released the button, taking a protective stance in front of Percy.

Three hellhounds reached Annabeth first, the largest one taking the charge in the attack. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Annabeth vaulted herself over the monster, twisting in the air so she could drag her knife down its back. She landed in its dust, quickly turning to prepare for the next devilish dog. It came at her teeth-first so she rolled out of the way. It managed to swipe a paw across her left arm, giving her a good-sized gash that oozed blood down her arm. She turned to see the hellhound looking around confused as to where it's lunch disappeared to. When it faced her, Annabeth quickly kicked it in the nose and stabbed it in the neck.

"Annabeth, behind you!" Percy called.

She instinctively rolled to the side again, knowing to trust his warning rather than to look for herself. Just as she thought she was in the clear, the hellhound was on her. It jumped up and hit her on the chest with its two large paws, pinning her to the ground. Based on the fact that she wasn't immediately crushed from the attack, Annabeth knew it was a young hellhound. It was only the size of a large dog. One of the paws on her chest slipped, clawing down her right shoulder causing Annabeth to cry out in pain. She managed to get her free hand to the dog's neck, keeping it from biting her face off before stabbing it in the side of the head.

She wanted to stay there, lying on the ground which, at the moment, was feeling cozy. Maybe Percy would even join her and cuddle up to her so they could take a quick power nap. But then the next monster roared and Percy yelled her name in concern so she got up.

She had to keep getting up if the Doors were going to reach the surface.

The monsters were definitely toying with her. They came at her one at a time, letting her just barely win the fight each time so she was fatigued before throwing the next at her. The monsters suddenly seemed to realize that there was an infinite number of them and only two demigods. It wouldn't be long before Annabeth simply collapsed and the monsters moved in for the final kill.

Cyclops, dracaenae, harpies, and telekhines were thrown at her seemingly endlessly. Her arms were dripping blood from defensive wounds, making her knife slip in her hand. She couldn't see out of her left eye from a punch from a cyclops. All she could taste was blood and monster dust. Her muscles ached and cramped, the acid air of Tartarus crippling her respiratory system.

Percy had to simply watch, unable to help as one wrong vein burst could kill his own girlfriend.

Annabeth knew she was not going to make it much longer. It had only been two minutes by her counting but it felt like two hours.

She was saved in the worst way possible.

_Watch, my children!_ Tartarus' voice interrupted. All of the monsters immediately turned to the god, even the one attacking Annabeth. She quickly slashed through it before turning herself.

"Bob!" she cried out.

Tartarus had the former Titan by the throat, his feet dangling in the air. Bob's spear was in his other hand. His swirling face was slowly sucking at Bob's life force.

_You Titans are foolish, believing you are stronger than Mother Gaea. You couldn't even beat a sixteen-year-old boy! _Tartarus laughed.

"I was fifteen," Annabeth heard Percy say behind her. Running back to his side she noticed he appeared more alert, slowly gaining his energy back. They swapped positions again to give Annabeth a rest, her taking over the button once more. Percy stayed at her side. They couldn't help but stare in horror as Tartarus held Bob like a doll, his purple arm not straining under the weight.

Had he gotten bigger?

"Not… Titan… I… am… Bob," he choked out, punching at Tartarus' arms in vain.

_Oh, Iapetus. The Lethe ruined you. I will put you out of your misery._

As quick as lightning, Tartarus stabbed Bob with his own spear straight through the stomach. The point jutted out of his back, shiny with ichor. Tartarus pulled out the spear only to shove it forward again. Bob's mouth was open in a silent scream. The god yanked out the spear again, this time dropping Bob's limp body to the ground. His head lolled to the side, and, for a second, he and Annabeth made eye contact.

_I'm sorry_, his eyes read.

Tartarus crouched down by his face and grabbed it, forcing Bob to look at him. _Your demigod friends are next. You have failed_, he hissed. Tartarus stood and his face turned to Percy and Annabeth. Gripping the spear with two hands, he drove it straight down directly into Bob's throat.

Annabeth could hear the sickly sound of Bob choking around the weapon. There was a pool of ichor around him. His body slowly fell to dust, dissolving away for what was likely the last time.

_Thirty seconds left._

The thought suddenly came into her head as her internal clock kept working despite the trauma in front of her. She whispered the information to Percy. He nodded.

Tartarus's eyeless face watched Bob dissolve away before looking at Percy and Annabeth.

_Gaea wanted me to bring the Saviors of Olympus to Greece as a personal sacrifice, but I think I will keep you to myself._ Tartarus started to walk towards them. _My _one _act of defiance._ With his increased size, he was reaching them fast.

They had nowhere to run. The button burned under Annabeth's thumb.

_Twenty_.

No monsters came at them, leaving the two at the mercy of the god of the pit. Percy tried to burst veins under Tartarus' feet, but it was useless. It was _his _blood, after all.

_Ten_.

Tartarus reached the edge of the crowd of monsters that surrounded the demigods. He walked _on_ them, the monsters scrambling out of the way to avoid being crushed. Many were unlucky.

_Five_.

He took one last step towards them, crushing another group of monsters under his iron boot. He was towering over them, growing larger by the second. He twirled Bob's spear in his hand lazily. It looked like it was painted gold with the amount of ichor on it. It was destructively beautiful.

_Four_.

_Gaea will be pleased to know her greatest threats were killed at the hands of her brother_, Tartarus taunted. He was the size of an apartment building, similar to Sally's in New York City.

Annabeth wondered what she was doing at that moment.

_Three_.

"Percy, I love you," Annabeth said, her heart pounding out of her chest, taking one last look at Percy alive. He was covered in ichor, blood, monster dust, dirt, grime, and everything in between. Yet, his green eyes shined and he had never looked more handsome.

_Two_.

Percy grabbed her free hand and squeezed tightly, smiling softly at her.

"I'll find you in Elysium, Wise Girl. I love you."

_One_.

Tartarus held the spear like a baseball bat. Despite his non-existent face, he seemed to be smiling. He swung the spear at them. With his strength, Annabeth knew they would die on impact.

_Ding_.

/

"They should be here by now, shouldn't they?" Jason asked, pacing back and forth in the cavern. Everyone stood around the doors, waiting for the elevator's arrival. With each passing second, their hearts collectively fell into the pits of their stomachs.

"It's Tartarus, Jason," Nico said gently. "We can't predict anything."

The son of Jupiter huffed and continued his pacing, his sword in his hand.

Hazel didn't have the nerve to tell him she didn't feel any life force in the elevator. She made eye contact with her brother and she knew he felt the same thing. She hoped it was a trick of the pit. Frank came over and sat next to her on the rock she was perched on. He took her hand and she could tell he was shaking. He was on the verge of tears.

_Ding_.

Their heads shot to the elevator. The UP button glowed green, teasing them. Jason rushed to the controls, slamming his hand into the button.

Everyone stood as the doors opened. They formed an arc around it, their weapons at the ready. Black smoke poured out, obscuring the demigods' vision for a second. They all coughed and waved their hands in front of them to clear the air. The smoke cleared enough for them to see inside of the elevator.

It was empty.

Hazel couldn't control the sob that left her throat. She could hear Frank gasp next to her.

"Where are they? They're supposed to be here?" Leo asked urgently. He stepped towards the elevator, but Frank grabbed his arm, shaking his head.

"That means they're…" Piper trailed off, covering her mouth with her hand as she started to cry.

Jason dropped his sword and cursed loudly. He walked to the nearest wall and slid down it, his head in his hands.

Hazel looked at the open elevator doors in shock. They had started to shudder, the chains holding it in place.

The chains.

She looked at Nico again, only to find him already looking at her. He nodded.

"We have to cut them," she squeaked between sobs. "The chains. We have to cut them." She reached for her _spatha_, but Frank grabbed her arm as well.

"Hazel, if we cut the chains, they'll be stuck down there." He looked panicked.

"Yeah, why can't we go down there? It has a DOWN button too!" Leo pointed out, gesturing at the elevator with his free hand.

Hazel shook her head. The pit in her stomach was too deep, too empty.

"It's too late," Nico choked out. "They're gone." His face was completely blank.

Leo's whipped his head back and forth between her, Nico, and the straining elevator. Tears were falling silently down his cheeks.

Hazel turned and buried her face in Frank's chest, hoping Annabeth and Percy were able to have their final moments together. He squeezed her tight. She sobbed loudly.

Jason stood abruptly and marched towards the elevator, scooping up his sword as he did so. His eyes looked murderous. Frank tried to stop him, but Jason simply shoved him off. He slashed through the first set of chains.

"They died so we could close the Doors. They did their job so we have to do ours." His voice was void of emotion. He moved to the other set and slashed through the other set. "I am going to rip Gaea apart with my bare hands," he muttered.

The Doors quaked and then disappeared in a flash of black light and a burst of energy that cracked the ceiling.

Hazel stared at where the doors had been. Any possible chance of their friends' survival was now gone. They were completely gone.

Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were gone.

It didn't seem possible. They were so powerful, so experienced, they seemed untouchable. Hazel had thought Percy was a _god_ when she first saw him, for Jupiter's sake. While she didn't know Annabeth as well, she only had to see the daughter of Athena in one fight and Hazel knew she would never be half as good as Annabeth was. The two were the strongest demigods to ever live, Hazel was sure of it.

And they were just gone.

The cavern around them shook and a chunk of rock fell from the ceiling and exploded against the ground, sending debris all over. A support column started to crack and the entire cavern moaned in protest.

"Everyone, grab hands!" Nico commanded.

The group quickly got into a circle, Hazel desperately clutching onto Nico and Frank's hands. As the cavern started to dissolve into shadow, Hazel could only envision Percy and Annabeth, surrounded by the horrors of Tartarus as they fought until the end.

Hazel had failed them. She wasn't fast enough, not skilled enough. Had she been more efficient, they could still be alive.

_I'm sorry._

The world faded to black.

/

*** = The page number is based on an online PDF I found of the book since I don't have it at college with me.**

**Wow, this is the most depressing thing I've ever written. I literally almost teared up when writing it. This story started with the idea of the count down scene for Percy and Annabeth, and then I made the rest of the story around it. I just imagined it like a movie where Tartarus swings the spear, the screen cuts to black, and then just ding in the darkness before showing Jason pacing.**

**If this made you sad like me, just remember it's not canon :')**

**I recently updated my main story, I'm Here: The Reboot so check that out!**

**Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter in a review. I'm actually really, really proud of this one so I'd love to hear what you guys thought. I tried to keep it as accurate to the book and mythology as possible so I hope it shows. Also, let me know if you have any recommendations!**

**Sorry for any errors, blah blah blah. See y'all soon.**


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